Review of corrosion interactions between different materials relevant to disposal of high-level nuclear waste

Abstract

This review covers the corrosion interactions between different materials that are relevant to the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, in particular the waste forms and containers. The materials of interest are borosilicate glass, crystalline ceramics, metal alloys, and any corrosion products that might form. The available data show that these interactions depend on the structure, chemistry, thermodynamic history, and proximity of the materials in contact, as well as the environmental attributes, such as temperature, solution chemistry, and radiation. Several key mechanisms that govern these interactions are highlighted. Scientific gaps and open questions are summarized and discussed.

Fungal hyphae develop where titanomagnetite inclusions reach the surface of basalt grains

“…We compared our interpretations of Ca enrichment in the present work with data from nuclear glass alteration and radioactive waste simulation experiments where APT has been employed extensively 9 , 10 , 68 , 69 . However, the design of the nuclear glass alteration experiments created intensive weathering regimes in controlled settings compared to the field conditions in our study, specifically with respect to time, temperature, degree of silica saturation, among other factors.…”

“…The presence of magnetite, an Fe-corrosion product pertinent to the storage of nuclear waste, enhanced the dissolution of nuclear glass as documented in work that mixed nuclear glass and magnetite powders and subsequently described the formation of Fe-enriched gel alteration layers that thickened with time 68 . Glass-iron-clay laboratory experiments designed to simulate the geological disposal of radioactive waste also presented glass-magnetite/siderite/Fe-rich phyllosilicate interfaces that documented the formation of a protective gel layer and a secondary precipitates layer that concentrated Ca, P, lanthanides, and Mo 9 , 69 .…”

“…With respect to the study of planetary systems, the degree of basaltic alteration observed on Mars contributes to our understanding of astrobiology and the evolution of extraterrestrial landscapes 6 – 8 . The pathways and mechanisms that control the dissolution of synthetic glasses produced for the storage of radionuclides in geologic repositories has also been well-studied 9 , 10 . Thus, assessing the biotic and abiotic drivers of basalt and glass weathering in natural Earth systems, including soils, remains of paramount importance for recognizing and predicting long-term ecosystem response to changes in global climate 11 , 12 , identifying lithologic controls on global carbon cycling 2 , 13 , or detecting mineralogical biosignatures that may provide evidence for past, present, and future life on other planets 14 – 16 .…”

Modeling and simulation of ductile damage in forged steel used to encapsulate high-level radioactive waste

“…During their life time, HLW disposal packages will be subjected to both, generalized corrosion and mechanical loading paths first applied by the steel casing after its confined buckling and then directly by the rock after total corrosion of the casing. Several scientific studies have been conducted on the corrosion of metallic structures within the context of the disposal of HLW (Guo, 2020). For the case of steel containers, several works have been published studying the effect of corrosion on their long-term behavior (Bulidon, 2021), (Ghahari, 2012), (Lotz, 2021), (Zhang, 2019).…”

Long-term interactive corrosion between International Simple Glass and stainless steel

“…A large body of literature has been devoted to studying the dissolution mechanisms of waste glass forms and model waste glasses in chemically inert containers [5][6][7][8] . However, the effects of near-field materials such as SS on the glass degradation need to be considered 9,10 .…”